When I read story after story of persecuted Christians complaining that the world has forgotten them and that it doesn't care that they are being persecuted by the Muslims, there is a fire of indignation which rises up in my heart!

Does the New Testament teach us to expect the WORLD to care about Christians and to put a stop to Christian persecution and martyrdom? Doesn't it actually teach us the opposite? Yeshua (Isa, Jesus) told His followers:

"When the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)

And "Christians" want THIS world to save them by using violence against those who persecute them, dispatching unbelievers to Hell for eternity?! There is something fundamentally flawed with this kind of "Christianity"! It's actually pretty putrid!

Yeshua has already taught His followers what to do in the face of violent persecution and possible death:

"You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:38,39,44,45a)

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Yeshua there.... Yeshua prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:33a,34a)

Unfortunately, this clear and simple teaching of Yeshua is too radical for most "Christians" to stomach. They don't want to follow and obey Yeshua on those terms. They would much rather cling to their earthly lives, use violence in self-defense, and beg the world to have pity on them and save them. No wonder most of the world rejects Yeshua — because they can't see Him in His supposed followers!

Yeshua promised us that we WOULD be persecuted and killed just because we are His followers. Yeshua's early followers promised us the same thing in the various writings of the New Testament. See Crucified Again — Don't Be Surprised for more details and the Scripture references.

The early church considered it a great privilege to be killed for the sake of Yeshua — so much so that they actually started to go too far and seek out martyrdom! See these articles for more details:

Where is the army of God? Not a demonic army of hate, like the Crusaders of a thousand years ago. But the TRUE army of God, a spiritual army of love, who follow the Lamb wherever He goes, who renounce violence, and are armed with the spiritual weapons of their testimony of Yeshua, the Word of God, and not loving their lives unto death? Where are these victors, these mighty champions of God?

Where are the WILLING martyrs? Not those who go to their deaths grudgingly, feeling that God has let them down, full of fear and terror and hopelessness, begging the world to save them. But those who die willingly, confident in God's eternal plan, with joy because they are found worthy to suffer for Yeshua, who know that their deaths will mean life for those who are still slaves of the Devil, who know that their death is a victory and not a defeat?

Today, it is those in the Middle East who consider themselves Christians that God is calling to be His martyrs. I cannot with a clear conscience pray that they be saved from death. Rather, I pray that they may remain faithful and true witnesses of Yeshua unto death, and die in a way that brings glory to His name and shame to the hearts of His enemies.

Tomorrow, it will be the turn of those calling themselves Christians who live in Europe and America. There is little time to prepare our hearts to be ready for martyrdom. Will we love our earthly lives, and thus lose them for eternity? Or will we be faithful and true witnesses of Yeshua unto death? There is no time to lose to become strongly rooted in a theology of martyrdom. Our eternal destiny is at stake.

Yeshua's promise to us remains as valid today as when He first gave it two thousand years ago:

"To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:21-22)